Ways of the Force
by UKats1996
Summary: The Force guides and unites its users in different ways. Continuation after the end of VII.
1. Prelude

General Hux flinched as a massively bright ball of yellow and orange light engulfed the viewpoint in front of him.

 _No matter_ , he thought. _The Order will only come back stronger_.

He couldn't deny however the small amount of sadness amidst the tide of anger he was feeling.

 _The Resistance scum destroyed a thing of beauty._ He couldn't afford to spend his time despairing at how they did it, or finding out how to prevent such an unfortunate vulnerability. There would come a time later for that. Right now he could console himself with the knowledge that the Resistance's precious protection in the form of The New Republic was in shambles, and focus on the task the Supreme Leader had given him.

Hux turned on his boots quickly, dispelling his brief moment of emotion as he turned away from the cockpit of the Command Shuttle that was fleeing the sudden explosion. He passed the two pilots currently plotting their hyperspace coordinates without a glance, as he had given them their orders as they took off. He pressed the small console on the right side of the cockpit, opening the door in front of him. Hux entered, taking in the scene.

Kylo Ren was sitting on a low bench, surrounded by mechanical apparatus and a small medical droid. His torn cloak was tossed to the side, exposing his now treated shoulder wound. On his face, a mess of raw bright red marked his newly acquired scar, standing in stark contrast to the rest of his pale skin. His eyes were closed giving no sign that he had noticed a new body in the room, but Hux had been around Kylo long enough to know better. Hux could not deny he felt a small pleasure at seeing Kylo in such a compromising position. The lap dog of the Supreme Leader had not gained much favor with Hux or for that matter the crew of the _Finalizer_ when he had put what seemed like his own personal goals before that of The Order. Not to mention the way his command had often put the two of them at odds, Hux with his systematic troops and beliefs against Kylo's relationship with the Force and the Supreme Leader. Hux had been willing to deal with it to gain such a powerful agent for The Order, but with the way Kylo had failed at Takodana and in dealing with the Resistance's new additions, he would have to reevaluate Kylo's usefulness.

"Our course has been set for the _Finalizer_. Once there we shall proceed to the Supreme Leader's location." Hux spoke over the low hum of the attending medical droid.

Kylo gave no response, eyes still closed.

"I suppose it's good that your helmet was lost, seeing as you'll have no trouble looking the part now with that on your face."

His eyes snapping open, Kylo turned them onto Hux, staying silent.

"I suppose it will serve as a suitable memento. Another failure, this time at the hands of an untrained girl."

Kylo's hands twitched, catching Hux in a tight grip pulling him close.

"Do not mock me Commander." Kylo snarled. "Not when your precious troops failed in their defense as well."

General Hux had remained perfectly calm despite being grabbed, smirking at how easy it was to get under Kylo's skin.

"I do not count the destruction of a system as a failure. Be careful Ren, the Supreme Leader would not be pleased to hear of you harming me, especially in the already unfortunate circumstances we are arriving in."

Kylo narrowed his eyes, releasing his grip on the General.

Smoothing out his uniform, Hux turned to leave as he left his final remark. "Rest up Ren. I have no doubt you will need it to complete the training the Supreme Leader has in store for you." The door slid shut behind him as he left the seething Kylo to himself. Returning to the cockpit to check the status of the ship's course one last time, he flipped his communicator on, broadcasting a message to the small number of passengers on the Command Shuttle. Staring at the almost mesmerizing scene of hyperspace for a few moments, he waited before turning to walk towards the other end of the ship. Entering the small bay of the Command Shuttle, he was pleased to see the few key officers that were saved from the base standing straight and looking forward, awaiting his command.

"Today is not a day to forget. Despite the loss of our weapon, we have dealt a crippling blow to our enemies. We shall arrive back at the _Finalizer_ in a matter of hours. Take that time to prepare reports for debriefing, and collect yourselves. For as soon as we get on board, preparations will begin for the final assault on the Resistance and remnants of the Republic. We will strike them at every front, pressing our advantage, until they have nowhere to escape our Order's might. Every planet under The New Republic's wing now has no choice in bowing to us. The end is in sight, and we shall see a galactic order that surpasses The Empire's might."

The sound of multiple boots clicking could be heard clearly through the bay, as the officers saluted and returned to their respective posts. This was a well-oiled machine he had the fortune of orchestrating, Hux mused. One that would bring the galaxy into a new order.


	2. Chapter 1

" _I can show you the ways of the Force!"_

 _She closed her eyes, Kylo's words echoing inside her head, feeling around her for the mysterious power she had encountered before. Ever since he had forced himself into her mind she had been aware of her new connection, and she reached for it now, calming her nerves and pulling the energy to her. As she did this she returned to the situation at hand, eyes opening into a world of blue and red, as the snow around her and her enemy melted at the first touch of the oddly colored light. The wet mist created still allowed her to see Kylo clearly, still driving his hilted lightsaber into her own, wearing an intense almost desperate look on his face. Aware of the drop behind her, she quickly slid her saber out of the confrontation and spun to the side turning the tables on her opponent. Kylo slid around her to avoid being in the same situation Rey had just been in, and was quickly on the defensive as Rey unleashed an energetic flurry of strikes and stabs. As Rey pressed her advantage, she noticed how much weaker Kylo had become throughout the fight, with dark splashes of blood appearing on the snow before them. As he brought his saber up to counter her offensive, Rey became aware that she could feel his motions a split second before he made them, allowing her to slide his saber past her and take a swipe at his legs, only succeeding in cutting his robes and causing him to stumble. Seeing an opening she lunged towards him, glancing his shoulder and pressing him even further back. Kylo snarled and threw himself at her desperate to end the struggle only to have Rey meet his attack, glancing his saber into the ground and stopping his other hand with her own. A battle of wills occurred, both with feet set, grunting and pushing against each other as Rey pressed Kylo's hilted blade into the ground. With a quick motion she released her grip on him, took her blade with both hands and made a quick cut towards Kylo. Kylo could do nothing as he watched her unexpected move unfold, blade cutting cleanly through his own hilt and destroying the saber, before moving swiftly towards his head, nicking his the right side of his face as he fell backwards in shock._

 _Rey stood above him, her saber lowered towards the once imposing figure. She could feel the power she lent from around her, but this time it felt different. Her feelings after watching Han fall from that bridge came back full force, dark and fearful thoughts invading her mind._

 _Kill him, a voice whispered to her. He's a monster, you said so yourself._

 _She looked at the black clad figure, defenseless but still dangerous, before taking a step forward, as the ground started to shake violently…_

Rey gasped as she pulled out of the memory, jumping to her feet with wide eyes taking in her surroundings. She blew out a sigh as she realized where she was.

The planet the map had brought her to was unlike anything see had seen before, which was not surprising given her upbringing. The deep blue seas of Ahch-To stretched as far as she could see, with blotches of green and dull grey popping up sporadically to mark the numerous small islands. _From seas of dunes to water_ , she thought wryly. The strong gusts of winds blowing in her face from the seas were nonstop she soon discovered after being on the island for only a handful of days, along with the never-ending cloud cover.

"Why does this keep happening?" Rey spoke to herself, referring to her troubling flashback.

Luke had started to task her with daily meditation practices soon after her arrival, explaining the importance of such techniques to the Jedi philosophy. She thought she would have excelled at it, after spending the majority of her life by herself, and having more time than she wanted to reflect on things. Whenever she began to meditate however, the lightsaber battle on the Starkiller Base would force its way into her thoughts, making her relive those last moments again and again. It wasn't the battle that kept haunting her, or even Kylo himself. It was that voice. That voice that accompanied the feelings of hate and fear towards the man who killed Han, his own father. The one that had goaded her to kill Kylo. And the worst part was that she agreed with the voice, and had entertained the thought of ending it right there. She had killed before, and would probably kill again, but always in self-defense and according to her own terms. The thought of someone or something playing with her emotions was disturbing to say the least.

Rey suddenly noticed the change in lighting, noting the sun lowering itself below the constant cloud cover to begin its journey past the distant waves. _Time to head back_. She walked over to a nearby rock wall where her staff lay, throwing the strap over her shoulders so the staff settled on her back. Turning away from the ocean cliff and the rock wall, she started up the hill that was there, following a rough but manageable pathway made from loose stones. As she reached the top she spotted smoke rising from behind a small outcropping on the other side of the island, and started towards it across the short rocky plains.

Luke's home was not far from where she first met him, though considering the island was so small nothing was very far from anything. It was a small space comprised of an old set of ruins built into the nearby rock face, with one side of the ruins being the actual rock itself, and the other three sides being man-made. To say the man-made walls of the only room still standing was generous, as they were so weathered with eroded holes that it seemed a hard hit from her staff would cause them to crumble. Around the "protected" space was what the last remaining walls were soon to become, scattered pieces of what looked like shaped limestone in vague rows.

As Rey turned the corner of the rock face and the shelter came into view, she noticed a flame in the dying light coming from inside. She approached the opening on the forward wall and stepped inside, but it was empty except for a slowly dying fire.

"Hello?"

No response came as she settled by the fire, adding to it from a nearby pile of kindle and wood from the sparse trees dotting the island. She surveyed the rest of the space to check if anything was out of place since she was last here, but nothing had been touched. The place was rather primitive, the only things involving technology being a small communicator and some holodisks. The rest of Luke's belongings were stacked on a shelf cut into the rock by a lightsaber. Rey stretched out on a makeshift bench of rubble near the fire, dumping her staff next to her bags while feeling the soreness from her daily training regimen all too well. The long hours with her Master included both physical and mental stress, which her upbringing had ironically prepared her well for, however she was struggling with certain aspects. The Force was still a brand new entity to her, and since she had grown up only hearing what she thought were tall tales and myths from traders, she had to go by only her own encounters as well as testimony from Luke. That proved to be another aspect of her training she was struggling with; patience. Not that she couldn't be patient, but the circumstances of her coming here had been dire. The longer she stayed here on this island, the more she worried for the safety of her new found friends. She still had no clue about the status of Finn, or how Leia had handled the Resistance's move from D'Qar. She had brought this up with Luke, but he was insistent on finishing business here on Ahch-To first. Not to mention it had taken her a couple days to even put a dent in his quiet brooding mood.

When she had first come to him holding out her plea, he had said few words. He had closed the distance between them, closing Rey's hand over the lightsaber, muttering, "You will need this for now," before motioning for her to follow him as he led her to the old ruins. That night had been full of questioning by Rey, resulting in only deflections and silence. The only thing Luke would talk about was the need for her to train, and the only subjects available for her to speak of had to do with her training. It seemed for a moment that maybe he would break out of his shell when he was reunited with his droid and old Wookie friend, but he soon grew introverted again, having sent them away to another chain of islands in the _Falcon_ for a reason she still did not know. She didn't know if this what he was always like, or if he really had changed that much like Leia and Han had suggested. She was fine with playing along for the first couple days, content with stretching her knowledge of The Force and still dealing with the shock that this was THE Luke Skywalker, of all those legends. But now things would have to change. She couldn't sit by and accept his silence having seen the things she saw in the last few weeks.

Fate, or The Force, must have agreed with her, as she received her chance to confront him as he swept into the small alcove. He wore the same grey robes and light tunic he had when she had first seen him, hanging the robes onto a notch in one of the walls as he encountered the growing heat of the fire.

"Thank you for tending to fire," Luke murmured. "I was gone longer than I intended to be. How did your meditations go? I felt some disturbance from you not too long ago."

Rey watched as he pulled out a local bird he must have caught somehow and began to prepare it for supper before answering.

"It was nothing, just a memory."

Luke turned to look at her, a rare show of emotion in the form of concern showing in his face before responding.

"Memories are not nothing, Rey. They can be very dangerous if not dealt with."

"It's fine, really."

Luke pursed his lips, but did not press.

Rey decided to hold off on her agenda until their stomachs were full, instead focusing on retrieving some spices and water from a canister just inside the door. The pair were silent as they ate, both focused on their meal and the flickering snaps of the fire. As they finished, a light rain started to patter the hovel, drops finding their way through the holes in the ceiling to land near unoccupied spots.

Rey glanced at Luke taking a sip of water before speaking.

"What are we still doing here?"

Luke glanced up, grimacing as she spoke.

"I have told you before Rey, I have my reasons. I do not wish to talk of this."

Rey frowned as she got the same answer she had received any time she had asked a question like that. But this time she wouldn't let it go.

"Why? Why won't you explain why you have been missing for so long? Why are we here when there are people who need help? Help we can provide?"

Luke turned away from her, standing up and walking over to the ledge that contained many odd looking metal pieces.

"What I'm doing here and training you is the best thing I can do."

Rey stood up, fed up with the vague answers Luke kept giving her.

"That's ridiculous! You won't even tell me what it is you're doing here, and you can train me back with the Resistance! How is hiding away from the galaxy helping more than meeting the First Order head on? I've heard all of these tales of the legendary Luke Skywalker, but I have yet to see him! You-"

With a sudden movement Luke spun around facing Rey and met her interrogation with the first shred of real emotion she had ever seen from him.

"Enough!" He boomed, cutting Rey off abruptly. "Don't speak of things you don't understand! You don't know what happened, what I'm responsible for, what I failed to prevent or see."

Spurred on by this show of emotion, Rey countered back. "I know what happened with Ben, how he turned." She partly noticed the beginning of hard vibrations growing around her, shaking the few objects in the room. "That's not your fault!"

The vibrations intensified, shaking the whole room, the already existing cracks in the walls expanding. Rey felt the ground move under her feet as Luke's face grew darker, eyes staring at her intensely.

"Stop," he commanded.

"Not when lives are still in danger. How can you sit by while a whole sector is destroyed by those monsters? Billions lost. The First Order is still out there, Leia and the Resistance are on the run and they need you." Rey paused before speaking softly, "Han needed you."

The vibrations suddenly ceased, a shocking calm entering the room at the mention of Luke's old friend. Rey winced at the look of sadness that overtook Luke's face, trying to take back what she said as he stormed past her and out into the now pouring rain.

Rey slid to the ground, despairing that she pushed him too far, bringing her knees up and resting her head on them. She knew going after him would be pointless, and she could only hope she hadn't ruined her chances with Luke Skywalker.

...

Hey guys this is my first fanfic... any suggestions and criticism is welcome!

I will try to update periodically, all depends on school work.

Thanks!


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